(Older picture of a skimming device)Illegal immigration isn't a "victimless crime" and the work they are performing doesn't always help the economy. Apparently Romanian illegal immigrants are installing fake ATM fronts - used to steal debit-card details - for the very same criminal organizations that helped them get into the United Kingdom, illegally.
Justin Penrose of the Sunday Mirror (UK) is reporting:
They have developed a high-tech ATM front which looks exactly like the original - and it steals a victim's details in seconds.
The new cashpoint fascia is so convincing that gangs are selling it to other crooks for £10,000 a time.
The covers even have a sticker which warns customers to watch out for fraudsters. When a victim uses an ATM it records details while a camera videos the pin number. Within seconds these details are sent to a laptop and a cloned card is made. Several wealthy Romanian "godfathers" run crooked empires from their mansions in the Balkans.
Sunday Mirror story, here.
The article also states that these new and very convincing ATM fronts are being produced and sold to other criminal organizations.
I wonder how long it will be before this new "skimming device" is exported from the United Kingdom? In the past couple of years, debit-card fraud has become a worldwide problem.
This reminds me that the best defense against ATM skimming is to always cover your PIN when doing a transaction!
Here is a previous post about the growing problem of debit-card fraud:
Debit Card Breaches, A Growing Problem
And here is an older post, I did (with pictures) of a skimming device:
ATM Machines That Clone Your Card
If anyone has a picture of one of these new devices, please send it to EdwardDickson@SBCGlobal.net.
2 comments:
This is a growing problem in the industry. Having the PIN number means more cash, faster, at a higher rate of (criminal) return. Combating this will be an industry in itself much like how to detect phishing attacks.
There is a blog on credit card compliance and data security.
Check out the ATM photo flickr gallery.
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